Such oil separators are already used in oil-injected compressors, whereby the oil-gas mixture from the outlet of the compressor element is guided to the oil separator before being guided, for example, to consumers of compressed gas.
In the oil separator, the oil-gas mixture to be treated is brought into the space between the screen and the housing via the inlet in the housing where the oil-gas mixture will flow so that a first separation phase takes place.
Then the oil-gas mixture will undergo a second separation phase when the liquid-gas mixture is forced to flow around the end of the screen to the space enclosed by the screen and to change direction in this way.
The separated oil will be collected in the housing of the oil separator at the bottom.
The oil-gas mixture will then flow through the filter element, whereby the oil-gas mixture will finally arrive in the interior of the filter element.
The filter element can consist of a casing that is provided with a suitable filter material that is closed off by the lid and the bottom.
When flowing through the filter element a third separation phase takes place, whereby the separated oil is collected in the bottom.
The thus purified gas is brought from the inside to the outlet in the housing via the pipe or collector, where it is guided to consumers of compressed gas.
The filter element of the oil separator can be replaced for maintenance or repair by removing the lid on the top of the oil separator.
It is known that the oil caught by the filter element that is collected in the bottom is drained off via a drainage line that runs from the bottom of the filter element, via the lid of the filter element to the lid of the oil separator. In the lid of the oil separator there is an opening for draining off the oil.
Such known installations present the disadvantage that when the filter element has to be replaced, the drainage line also has to be detached from the lid of the oil separator.
This means that the drainage line can be damaged and/or that when refitting the filter element and the lid of the oil separator, the drainage line is connected incorrectly.